Electrical regulating device



E. W. GENT.

ELECTRICAL REGULAHNG DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I. \920.

1,383,799. Patented July 5,1921.

l l h l un rso sra'rss PATENT orri-cs.

EDGAR W. GENT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY,

. INCORPORATED, OF YORK, N. Y ACORIORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRICAL REGULATING DEVICE.

all whom It may concern: 7

Be it known that I. Enoan ll. GENT, a citizen of the l nitcd States,residing at New York, in the county of New York. State of New York. haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical hcgnlat ingDevices. of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription.

'lhisinvention relates generally to"clcc- 10 trical re gulatin devicesand more [.iurticlh larly to such devices employing, a multiplicityofstationary contacts, all of which are accessible to a common movablecontact. I The adaptation of this invention is not con finei'l't'o 'anyone specific type of apparatus, but, omthe contrary, it may be embodiedin a number of different type-5,01 apparatus .Such, for instance, asrheostats, potentiomw ters, variable inductance and variable capacityapparatus. etc.

The object of this invention is the pro vision, in connection with suchdevice, as enumerated above, of a simple sulfa-enteringcombinationcontact and terminal which will reduce the cost of production of suchappzu ratus,-and eliminate the positive stop or so called clickingdevice ordinarily employed therewith.

The principal feature of the invention resides in the combination with amovable contact member of a combined stationary contact and terminal inwhich the stationary Contact medium serves to secure the terminal, andalso to provide a seating contact 36 for the movable contact member.Other features of the invention will be brought out in the detaileddescription.

Inordinary practice it is customary to provide, in connectionwith-multiple con- 40 tact electrical apparatus as noted above,

positive stopping devices or so-called clickmg devices which indicate tothe operator when the movable contact is properly centered. T heseclicking devices also tend to prevent the movable contact arm stoppingin mid-position, that is between contacts. Such devices, being wellknown in the art, require no description here. This invention eliminatesthe necessity for a separate clicking device, the function of which isperformed thereby without the use of any device or parts other than arerequired for the performance of other necessary functions of theapparatus. it A potentiometer, illustrating one embodi- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented J uly 5, 1921.

1 Application and my 1, 1920. Serial No. 378,330. 7

ment of this invention. is shown in the ac comnanying drawing, in whichFigure 1 is.

a ierspective view of the potentiometer, some parts, heingshownfragmentarily for the sake of clearness. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view ofthe potentiometer and Fig. 3 isa perspective cross sectional view of aterminal and eyelet. together with the end portion of a movablecontactarm. 1

Jonrnalcd in the bearing 14 is a shaft 1, to one end of which issecurely attached an arm 2 and to the other end .of the shaft a handle3. by means of which the shaft and arm are rotated. Attached to thehearing 14 is a spider 12, to which, in turn, is at tached a tubularmember 5,.preferably of insulating material. Mounted on'the exteriorsurface of the tubular member 5 are two rows of terminals (3 which aresecurely fastened to the tubular member by means of the metal eyelets 4which extends through apertures in the terminals 6, and also throughapertures in tubular member 5. After being assembled the eyelets 4 arehcadedorer as illustrated in Fig. 3. Mounted in a recess in the endportion of arm 2 is a metal ball 7 and a helical spring 5 for pressingthe ball 7 ontwardlyl The ball 7 will firmly seat itself in the apertureof any of the eyelets 4 with which it is brought into contact asillustrated in Fig. 3. hen shaft- 1 and arm 3 are rotated, the ball 7will drop into the aperture of each eyelet which it )asses in itsjourney, and upon dropping into thea n-rtnre of an eyelet it willcmit. adistinct click, indicating to the operator that the ball is properlycentered on one of its contacts. In the'apparatus illustrated only theupper row of eyelets make contact with the ball 7, the lower row ofeyelets being provided only for securing the lower terminals to thetubular member 5. Two additional terminals 9 are attached to theexterionof the tubular member 5, each of which serves as a terminus forthe resistance wire 8 which is passed alternately from one row ofterminals to the other, and soldered or otherwise secured to the tcrminais 6. Terminal ltl is electrically connect ed with the hall 7 throughthe medium of shaft 1 and arm 2, and is therefore electrically conncctc'l with both terminals 9 through the medium. of any of the eyelets 4.and its terminal 6 with which the ball 7 may happen to be in contact andthc resistance wire 8. Depending from the spider 12 and interposed inthe path of arm 2, is a lug 13 for limiting the movements of the arm. Aperforated metal uard ll supported by spider l4 provi es mechanicalprotection for the'resi stance wire 8. The potentiometer is intended tobe mounted on a panel board, not shown, by means of aper- 7 turesi 15.When mounted, the handle 3 and 1t} inter 16 project through the panel.j' i whrit is claimed is: i

1.- In an electrical regulating device, a movable contacting member, asupporting member, a plurality of terminals on said supporting member,an eyelet for each terminal extending supporting member said eyeletbeing formed to provide a positive seating contact for said contactlnmember and a conducting medium 20 connects to said terminals.

2. In an electrical regulating device, a rotatable contacting member, atubular supporting member, a plurality of terminals on said supportingmember. an eyelet for each terminal extending through said terminalthrough said terminal and said ward end to provide a positive seatingcon-- tact for said contacting arm,.said eyeletsbe-f ing permutablyaccessible-to saidcontacting arm and "a resistance medium connected tosaid terminals.

' 4. A variable resistance device comprising a tubular supporting memberof non-com ducting material, a shaft, commas with said supportingmember, a :contactarmattached to said shaft and rotatabletherewith, aresiliently supported contaotball'at the outward endof said contact arm,a row of terminals mounted on the exterior or saidsupportin member, aneyelet for'eachterminal, extending through said terminal and thewall ofsaid supporting member said eyelet being formed at its inward endtopro'vide a positive seating contact for said contact ball, saideyelets bein permutably accessible to said contact bal a second row of;terminals mounted on the exterior of, said'supporting member andparallel with said first row, and a resistance wireconnected alternatelyto the terminals ofieach'row.

In witness whereof,I hereunto subscribe my name this 27th day of A ril,A. D, 1920.

noon WQENT.

